‘A dream come true’ - Laois robotics world champions honoured at civic reception
Team RNS Robotics from Rosenallis NS were crowned world champions in April
A civic reception was held to celebrate the VEX world champions, Team RNS Robotics from Rosenallis NS on Thursday, June 25.
The winning students were joined by family and friends, as well as local councillors, Oireachtas members and members of Laois County Council for the reception in Áras an Chontae.
The reception celebrated Team RNS’ phenomenal win at the World VEX IQ Robotics Championship in St Louis, Missouri back in April.
Following the huge effort by the local community to fundraise for the students’ trip to the final rounds in the US, the team managed to beat over 420 schools from around the world to win the Engineering Division Judges’ Award.
Students Ciara Dunphy, Luke Somers, Ollie McEvoy, Katie Murphy, Grace Murphy, Hannah Ormonde, David Goodwin, David Moyles, Aislinn Guinan, Bobbee Friel and Lauren Kenny attended the final with one parent each, along with principal Rory Walsh, teacher Aaron Mackessy and Laois County Council STEM Officer Seanie Morris.
Speaking at the civic reception, the students’ teacher, Mr Aaron Mackessy said: “When you back brave, anything is possible. For the students to do what they did, it shows what we can do in Laois.
“STEM is alive in Laois, that’s not in any doubt. To see the number of schools engage with the programme and see Laois become a powerhouse in STEM, as we nearly had two teams at the Worlds – amazing!”
Students Ollie McEvoy and Aislinn Guinan spoke on behalf of the team at the reception.
“To our amazement and excitement, team RNS Robotics were announced as winners of the Judges Award. We could not believe it. We were so happy,” Ollie said.
“We would bring an award home to everyone who made our journey possible. Everyone back home was so happy and proud of us. We would like to thank everyone who has been part of our journey in any way. 2026 is a year we will all remember and talk about. Our VEX Robotics journey was really a dream come true, a trip of a lifetime with memories we will never forget.”
Aislinn Guinan spoke about the personal impact of the experience, saying: “For me personally, it didn’t just become a hobby – it completely changed the way I see my future. It made me rethink my subjects, and it gave me the confidence to choose engineering.
“Before this, I’m not sure I believed that it was something I could really do. Being part of this experience showed me that being a girl in STEM isn’t something unusual or out of reach - it’s something real, something achievable and something I’m genuinely excited to be part of.”
The outgoing Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council, Cllr Barry Walsh, congratulated the students for their achievement and thanked the teachers and mentors who supported them in their journey.
“You are the future of STEM. The skills in mechanics, coding, problem-solving and collaboration that you have mastered will not only serve you well as you continue your education, but they will also help shape the industries and technologies of tomorrow,” Cllr Walsh said.
“On behalf of Laois County Council and the people of this county, I want to say congratulations. You are a phenomenal group and you have proven that big dreams can start in small places.”
Director of Services at Laois County Council, Angela McEvoy also extended her congratulations to the team, who she said was the “pride of County Laois.”
“You stand before us today not just as students, but as trailblazers, world-class innovators, and the pride of County Laois. To go from a village school at the foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountains to the global stage at the VEX Robotics World Championship in St Louis is a fairy-tale journey,” she said.
“You have set the bar high for all your peers in schools across the county.”
Also acknowledged at the event was the support given to the students from Laois County Council’s STEM and Broadband Officers, Seanie Morris and Antoinette Brennan.
The students were presented with individual awards and the school was presented with a certificate of achievement.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme